Improvement in bureau, wardrobe, and folding bedsteads



M. ATWDOD.

Bureaus', wardrobes, and Folding Bedstead's.

Patented F`b.g24.1874.

Fig. 2.

will .wool

IWITNESSES;

nouw 1% Nrrnn STATES PATENT GFFIOE.

MORRISON Arwoon, or Narren, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPRVEVIENT IN BUREAU, WARRO, AND FOLDING BEDSTEADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,740, dated February 24, 1874; application filed December 16, 1673.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRISON Arwoon, of the town of Natick, in the county of Middlesex andv Commonwealth of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Bureau, VardrObe, or Folding Q Bedsteadegiand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in whichi Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the ilnprovedv bureau or cabinet folding bedstead, with a writing-desk combined therewith, unfolded and exposed, as will be hereafter more fully explained. Fig. 2 represents a vertical central section, the same being folded up to the bureau form. Fig. 3 represents a top or plan view of the same, the bedstead being thrown open and in position for use; and Fig. et represents, on an enlarged scale, a side view of a ratchet and catch device as attached with certain parts broken away, as will be hereafter more fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to make and use the same, 1 will proceed to describe it more in detail.

In the drawings, the parts marked A represent the middle stationary piece of. the bedstead, which piece forms the base or bottom part of the bureau proper. Hinged to this middle and stationary bed-piece A are folding divisions or sections B and C, which, with end pieces D 1)', constitute the principal parts combined to form a bureau-bedstead. Folding part B consists of a back covering of boards, E, and double head-board device F, the former of which serves for the bureau back; the latter, F, consists of two parts, F, and a head-board, G, properly hinged to it, (sec Fig. 3,) which latter pieces combined form the bureau top. Folding division or section C consists of a frame-piece, m on, combined with a lower bed-piece or detachable bed-board, H, and combined writing-desk to form the bureau front. Parts B and C, when brought together, or folded up to the form and in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may be locked together at point 1 by means of a key applied to a spring, a, or lock device, and

forni a compact and upright bureau in form.

.And now, having named the principal fea-- tures of my invention, minor parts will next be noticed.

To bed-piece A are attached upright end pieces D D', the former of which is securely fastened to said bed-piece, the. panel :and scroll strips b c e d combined with these parts last mentioned, being united by means of screws or nails, as in the construction of any ordinary bureau. The latter piece D is detachable, it being' provided with a spring, e, and slide-bolt f, working in a slot or grooveof said end piece, the said bolt j' having an arm, f', projecting through a slot, g, oi' a metal strip, h,- then, by means of a slot, z', in end scroll-piece or molding J (the latter attached to bed-piece A,) which slot fi receives the end of slide-bolt f,the said end piece may be readily adjusted into position or removed, projections j of said piece, in addition thereto, rendering the piece less liable to fall out of place, said projection j tting into rabbets j oi piece J. Back portion or cover E is `furnished with side pieces 7c, continuous with similar pieces lot the middle bed-piece A, pieces m of the lower bed-frame piece H, and pieces n of head device F, and, by means of slots in these sets of pieces k l m n, slats K are held in position on their respective boards F E A H, a single slat being secured to the former, three to the second or back piece, two each to the middle piece A and lower bed-board H. To these slats K springs are attached in upholstering the bedstead. The back piece E is made detachable, as well as head-piece F, and lower bed-piece or front piece H, in the former case by means of four metal pieces, o, secured to said bed-board by screws, as shown, and slotted out to hook on to their respective bolts or pins p in the side pieces. Head-board F is secured, in a similar manner, with its lower bed-piece' H. Only two metal pieces, o, are

Yemployed near one edge of said board, the

other edge being secured to a cross-piece, It, attached to the ends of pieces m, and which piece R forms the bottom part of a writingdesk, soon to be described.

By making the parts E, F, and H detachable, they may be removed and upholstered, and then quickly arranged in'position again, which is a great convenience. The construetion is also convenient, since the parts can be readily detached for dusting and cleaning the upholstered parts.

A similar cross-piece, Y, to cross-piece R, is

secured to ends of side pieces fn, thus forming, with the other side pieces before mentioned, a cise Vor box like mechanism, with low sides, to contain the material for upholstcry.

As will be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and $3, opposite ends of side pieces 7.', I, m, and n are chased or beveled off, and hinges properly affixed thereto, to permit the perfect folding of the sections. 'lo give firm support to the sections l and (l, when thrown into position for use, abracket-likc piece, L, having two legs or supports, s, are prevented from sliding out of position by a stay bolt or rod, t, attached to a lcentral projecting part of the said bracket-piece, the other end of the bolt being forced into a dent of the back piece E. Folding section or division C is supported by legs M M, attached, as will be explained in connection with the writing-desk or device previouslyv mentioned. Head piece or section F, hinged to back piece or section E, is controlled as to position by a toothed ratchetarm, N, and catch O, as fully shown in Fig. 4, so that said head-piece maybe placed back as far as desirable. The position of the headboard jointed to it is additionally governed by cords u, attached to back piece E and head-board G,.byn1cans of bolts or staples driven into said parts, the said cords passing through holes bored in cross piece 1'. A metal piece, c, turning freely on a screw in head-board G, may be turned across the joint formed by said piece and .part F, so as to prevent the two from folding when not dcsired. A narrow strip, l), is attached to headA board G, and which piece has a slot, in combination with a slotted metal piece, p', to form a lock device, which, with the spring or clasp e and a key, will securely fasten the comA bined parts in the bureau form.

A convenient writing -desk is formed by combining' piece Q as a back with a top piece, S, bottom piece R, and side pieces T, which, with folding leaf U, to write upon, forml a front, provided with a lock device at point 1. Said leaf U is provided with a narrow extension-leaf, U', or strip made folding by a desk cloth or iiannel glued to it in connection with the irst mentioned piece; and when said desk is closed the piece U is ot' such dimensions as to admit its sliding into the deskbox so far as is necessary, while the piece U presents a level surface with the lower partof the bureau front. To' the top piece S are attached metal legs, M M, heilig' simply metal pieces fitted to turn on screws over and on the top of piece S, and when turned, in getting the bed ready for use, they press down springs X and fall between pins X', and the bent portion of said springs thereby being held secure. Folding part or section C is, in addition to the lock device already mentioned, held in position when folded to thc bureau form by a holding-button, y, attached to and near the top of end piece D. Strips -or pieces Z also secured to end pieces D D',

and spring device z" on end piece D.

lith the full description already given of the folding mechanism and combined parts, it may not be necessary to detail the manner of opening and closing` the sections as a separate part of this specification.

It will be seen that the bureau front or face is finished off with button and imitation drawers, so as to present an exact bureaupattern.

rlhe writing-desk is especially convenient and handy, there being plenty of room for books, papers, 85e., and a swinging device, a', is fitted to hold a bottle of ink always in an upright position. By means of a catch, or any other simple device, leaf U U' may be securely fastened to the desk top, so that when the folding section B is tipped down none of the contents of the desk will be disarranged. Sufficient room intervenes between the folding partition to allow the mattress and bed-clothes to be conveniently packed therein.

1t will be seen that the compact form which the said hedstead may be made to assume on being folded up renders it unequaled as a portable bcdstead, and its other merits need not be dwelt on to be seen or appreciated.

Having described my improvements in bureau or cabinet folding bedsteads, what I claim therein as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the stationary bottom piece A and detachable end piece D', of slide-bolt f, with its arm f', spring c, and slotted meta-l strip h, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the hinged side pieces 7u l m n and the pieces E, F, and H, of the slotted metal pieces 0 and pins 1;,substantially as described, whereby the pieces E, F, and H can be readily detached for up holstering and cleaning, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the pieces R, S, T, and U, to form a writing-leaf and book-case, in the folding lmreau-bedstcad, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with folding part B, and stationary end piece l) and desk back Q, of catch z and spring dcyice c', substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A combined bureau-bcdstead, writing leaf, and book-case, the parts of which arel constructed and combined together substantially as shown and described. v

MORRISON ATWOOD. Tit-nesses JEROME A. KINsMAN, EDWIN E. MOORE. 

